Online program from the NRA geared to create instructors throughout the United States

Fairfax, Virginia - New jobs are always going to make you nervous.

No matter what your background, experience, or standing in the business community, there's going to be some apprehension when sitting behind the big desk for the first time. Usually you're asked to do one of two things; wait for the work to come to you or hit the ground running. For Bethany Weeks, now Bethany Mullen, it was time to run.

NRA Webinar covering Women on Target, Refuse to be a Victim and Wilderness Escape

Fairfax, Virginia - While NRA's programs are meant for everyone, we do have a few that specifically cater to those of female persuasion. Programs created to welcome women into the wonderful world of shooting sports. Along with said programs are awards, endowments, scholarship and matches to match. But I'm might as well be talking Klingon to most of you, right? Here's how we're going to fix that.

Wondering what to do today at the NRA Convention? We've got Governors, workshops and more ...

Indianapolis, Indiana - Day one at the 2014 NRA Annual Meeting was a doozy. Hundreds of thousand of members traveling from across the United States to celebrate a taste of the freedom they hold so dear. And boy were they rewarded. In addition to the hundreds of vendors lining the halls and walkways of the Indiana Convention Center, there were workshops, seminars and a little thing we like to call the NRA Country Jam.

Though there wasn't room for everyone to enjoy everything, that doesn't mean there isn't more fun, informative, and potential lifesaving experiences waiting to be had. Some are more fun than lifesaving, but that doesn't mean one should be pushed aside in favor of the other. We leave that choice up to you.

Refuse To Be A Victim celebrates 20 years of crime prevention and safety techniques

As NRAblog prepares to usher in 2014, Lars and I have gone through our stories from the past year and created 'Best Of' lists containing our five biggest events of 2013. Between all of the big events - both planned and unplanned - that we saw and the difficult task of actually recalling far off times like "February" and "April," it was no easy task. Without further ado, my list:

At #5 I have chosen Refuse To Be A Victim's 20th anniversary, as it let us stop and reflect on how much good the program has accomplished in its short time. Beginning in 1993, at the cusp of the United States' historic decline in crime rates, the National Rifle Association's Women's Policy Committee met with the goal of helping women avoid victimization. The idea the committee conceived of was Refuse To Be A Victim; taught by women and for women with a focus on becoming a less appealing target to criminals. Twenty years later the program has undergone a number of positive changes, but the objective remains the same.

The first three years of Refuse To Be A Victim proved the demand for education on crime prevention skills as more than 3,500 women attended a class. In its fourth year, after a high demand from men seeking the same education, the class became co-ed an its popularity skyrocketed.

Over its 20 year history, Refuse To Be A Victim has taught common sense safety tips to more than 100,000 people. Many attendees have enjoyed the program so much that they sought to become instructors, leading to the creation of the Instructor Development Workshop (IDW) and most recently the Online Instructor Training course. Now sporting 3,800 instructors, more than 500 Refuse To Be A Victim events are held annually throughout all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, England, Costa Rico, Puerto Rico, Tahiti and Trinidad and Tobago.

Refuse To Be A Victim celebrates 20 years of crime prevention and safety techniques

Fairfax, Virginia – Way back in 1993 the NRA’s Women's Policy Committee sought to create a program by women and for women that taught ways to become a less appealing target to criminals. With proactive safety and crime prevention methods and an increased awareness, the program would empower participating women.

The program got off to a great start and saw more than 3,500 women come through its doors in the first three years. In 1997 Refuse To Be A Victim became co-ed in 1997 at the request of men looking to learn the same useful skills and from there it took off. Now at its 20th anniversary, Refuse To Be A Victim has taught its common sense safety tips to more than 100,000 attendees. Its more than 3,800 instructors hold 500 events annually throughout all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, England, Costa Rico, Puerto Rico, Tahiti and Trinidad and Tobago.

Refuse To Be A Victim has award-winning program has been endorsed by Members of the United States law enforcement community have endorsed Refuse To Be A Victim for its safety benefits and the program has won awards for its techniques to avoid dangerous situations.

Local residents take part in personal safety course at NRA Headquarters

NRA's Refuse To Be A Victim® Program is a four-hour personal safety seminar where you can pick up dozens of tips on how to act, and react, to potentially dangerous situations. Taught a few hundred of times a year, we recently had one such seminar here at NRA Headquarters.

Here's National Coordinator Ruthann Sprague with the report:

Fairfax, Virginia - Thirty-six men, women and teens from Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia gathered at NRA Headquarters last weekend for a Refuse To Be A Victim® Seminar. Taught by one of our seasoned instructors, the new students learned how to develop a personal safety plan and avoid becoming a victim of crime. Simple things like where to park, using longer bolts in your door jam and how to handle those mystery phone calls were just a few of the suggestions shared that Saturday.

Learn the life saving tips from NRA's award-winning personal safety program

Fairfax, Virginia - This weekend you can attend a seminar of the NRA’s award-winning Refuse To Be A Victim program at NRA headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia.

Our crime prevention and personal safety seminar will teach anyone the basics of personal protection not through firearms, but with preventative measures that are easy to implement. Avoid dangerous situations and prevent criminal confrontations at home, in the car, on the phone, online and abroad.

The seminar will be held this Saturday, February 9, from 8:30 AM until 12:30 PM right here at NRA headquarters. Want to learn better ways to keep yourself safe? Refuse To Be A Victim classes present attendees with a variety of common sense crime prevention and personal safety strategies and devices they may integrate into their daily lives.

Learn safety measures and how to teach others next weekend in Fairfax, Virginia

Fairfax, Virginia - The NRA’s Refuse To Be A Victim program is an award-winning crime prevention and personal safety seminar that can teach anyone the basics of personal protection. Participants learn not to defend themselves with firearms, but with preventative measures anyone can put in place. Learn how to avoid dangerous situations and prevent criminal confrontations at home, in the car, on the phone, online and abroad.

Next Saturday, February 9, you can attend a seminar from 8:30 AM until 12:30 PM here at NRA headquarters. Everybody is invited to attend and the admission is $5.00. Seminar participants are presented with a variety of common sense crime prevention and personal safety strategies and devices they may integrate into their daily lives.

Keep safe while you're out and about this winter with the NRA's help

Fairfax, Virginia - There are plenty of places to get away to in the winter. Whether you've planned a beach vacation or you're heading to the ski slopes, you want to be able to keep yourself, your family or friends, and your "stuff" safe and out of the hands of criminals so you can focus on having fun. In order to help you and everyone else get back safely, Refuse To Be A Victim has some tips to help you out this winter:

Use a luggage tag with a flap that conceals your name and address. Or put your name and address, or business card, inside the luggage tag backwards so that the blank side is visible. Consider using a business address or mailbox service instead of your home address.

Use well constructed luggage but avoid expensive looking, designer sets. Fancy, high-quality luggage may identify you as someone to target.